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Nonfarm business labor productivity up 0.4 percent during first quarter of 2018

June 12, 2018

Nonfarm business sector labor productivity increased 0.4 percent during the first quarter of 2018, as output increased 2.7 percent and hours worked increased 2.3 percent.

Percent change in nonfarm business productivity and costs, first quarter 2008–first quarter 2018, seasonally adjusted
Quarter Hours
worked
Output Labor productivity

Q1 2008

-1.3% -5.1% -3.8%

Q2 2008

-1.9 2.0 4.1

Q3 2008

-4.3 -3.2 1.1

Q4 2008

-9.5 -11.8 -2.6

Q1 2009

-10.0 -7.3 3.0

Q2 2009

-8.5 -1.2 8.0

Q3 2009

-4.6 0.9 5.8

Q4 2009

0.2 5.1 4.9

Q1 2010

0.1 2.2 2.1

Q2 2010

3.2 4.7 1.4

Q3 2010

2.1 4.1 2.0

Q4 2010

2.1 3.8 1.7

Q1 2011

0.9 -2.5 -3.3

Q2 2011

3.1 4.5 1.3

Q3 2011

1.8 1.1 -0.7

Q4 2011

3.0 5.8 2.8

Q1 2012

3.3 3.9 0.6

Q2 2012

0.4 2.7 2.3

Q3 2012

1.8 1.0 -0.8

Q4 2012

1.9 0.2 -1.7

Q1 2013

1.9 2.8 0.9

Q2 2013

1.2 0.6 -0.6

Q3 2013

2.2 3.8 1.6

Q4 2013

1.4 5.6 4.1

Q1 2014

1.9 -1.4 -3.2

Q2 2014

3.2 5.8 2.5

Q3 2014

2.6 6.9 4.2

Q4 2014

4.5 2.3 -2.1

Q1 2015

0.9 4.0 3.0

Q2 2015

2.0 3.3 1.3

Q3 2015

0.1 1.3 1.2

Q4 2015

3.0 0.3 -2.7

Q1 2016

1.3 0.2 -1.1

Q2 2016

1.5 2.5 1.0

Q3 2016

0.9 3.3 2.4

Q4 2016

1.0 2.2 1.2

Q1 2017

1.5 1.8 0.2

Q2 2017

2.2 3.9 1.7

Q3 2017

1.3 4.0 2.6

Q4 2017

3.3 3.7 0.3

Q1 2018

2.3 2.7 0.4

Note: Data are percent change from previous quarter at annual rate. Data for the most recent quarter are preliminary.

Over the past decade, the quarterly changes in labor productivity have ranged from −3.8 percent (in the first quarter of 2008) to 8.0 percent (second quarter of 2009). Changes in output have ranged from −11.8 percent (fourth quarter of 2008) to 6.9 percent (third quarter 2014). Changes in hours worked have ranged from −10.0 percent (first quarter 2009) to 4.5 percent (fourth quarter 2014).

These data are from the Labor Productivity and Costs program. To learn more, see Productivity and Costs — First Quarter 2018, Revised. Also see Charts related to the latest "Productivity and Costs" news release. Labor productivity, or output per hour, is calculated by dividing an index of real output by an index of hours worked by all persons, including employees, proprietors, and unpaid family workers. These quarterly percent changes are seasonally adjusted annual rates.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Nonfarm business labor productivity up 0.4 percent during first quarter of 2018 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2018/nonfarm-business-labor-productivity-up-0-point-4-percent-during-first-quarter-of-2018.htm (visited April 20, 2024).

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